Easy Math Stations from a Boring Worksheet

Saw this on I Speak Math and holy moly, she wasn't kidding, it was so easy to make!!!
 These were her stations.

I had this boring worksheet to the left.

I cut the questions apart, copied them on brightly colored paper, created an answer key and seriously, within 20 minutes I had a cooperative group/stations activity.

I didn't have the stand up holders yet. So I slid them into protective sleeves and they were ready. I love bright colors!

Today I used it and the students absolutely loved not having a worksheet to do and they didn't have to listen to my voice the whole class period droning on and on...

I swear these pictures are not staged. Do you see how intently they appear to be working? Well, THEY ARE!!!! I was so proud of them.

To end class, I asked them to tell me what they liked and didn't like about this activity. It was their exit ticket. I gave them the option to add their name or not. I told them I needed the reason why they liked or didn't like the activity. I loved reading the responses.

I have over a hundred, but let me share a few with you:

• like the groups, didn't like the problems
• I liked that I understood all the problems I didn't like that no one listened when I was right (I have a grouping issue here)
• I liked to not do a worksheet what I didn't like was we didn't do a lot of easy questions
• I liked the questions I didn't like that it was hard
• I liked everything about this except my partners (I had several comments like this, good to know for next time)
• I like that we didn't have worksheets. I didn't like that we couldn't use pictures (we have moved to symbolic, maybe next time they can still use them if they need to, why not?)
• I like how it was like a game but we learned. I don't like how (name) was acting and trying to boss (lol, too many chiefs in that group)
• I didn't like the page because it was too hard for me. I did like that you put us in a table (they normally sit in twos)
• I like + I hate -  (lol subtracting fractions is hard, I know)
• I liked everything, dislike nothing
• I like groups, but too many boys (lol, I agree!)

My favorite: me gusto todao el travago del dia de hoy
I have two students who are brand new to America, they speak ZERO English. I speak ZERO Spanish, unless queso and guacamole count. But of course, I could read this and knew he liked what we did in class!!!! I may need to frame that one!

I have so many. The consensus is they like groups, but the problems are hard. Yes, I know that. That is the point. They needed practice. Plus, they did the back side of it for homework. They did tell me they disliked that part. yea, I figured that. 

I also had a few that really struggled and they told me so on the post it. They wrote their name too. Thank goodness. So, tomorrow I plan to pull them aside and work with them in a small group.

Today was a really good teaching day. I am having more and more of those this year and it is such a good thing for me. I can't believe I actually look forward to teaching 6th graders. Math can be fun, my students are proof.

Thanks to Julie for helping me make something boring and hard, more fun for them. Still hard, but I think they learned a lot from it as well.